Engineered Abandonment - There was a time when America’s biggest automakers flirted with the idea of building a true mid-engined sports car—something bold enough to challenge Europe on its own turf. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, whispers of such projects surfaced and faded, but in 1986 Ford came closer than anyone expected. The car was called
the Ford Cobra 230 ME, and for a brief, electric moment it looked as though this affordable mid-engined sportster could have dominated its segment—if
Ford had fully committed to bringing it to life.
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| The Cobra 230 ME embodied the spirit of a junior supercar, shaped by Ford’s advanced design team into a sharp wedge form with sculpted sides and bold air intakes ahead of the rear wheels. (Picture from: Story-Cars) |
Unveiled at
the 1986 Los Angeles Auto Expo,
the Cobra 230 ME arrived with serious credentials. At its heart sat
a transversely mounted 2.5-liter DOHC 16-valve inline-four engine,
equipped with electronic fuel injection and an intercooled turbocharger.
Output was a strong 230 to 233 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, paired with 275 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm.
The engine was reportedly capable of revving to 8,000 rpm, and
Ford claimed performance figures that grabbed headlines: 0–60 mph in under six seconds,
a top speed exceeding 130 mph,
and cornering grip of around 0.9 g on the skidpad. For a mid-1980s American concept aimed at attainable pricing, those numbers were not just competitive—they were provocative.
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| The Cobra 230 ME featured pop-up headlights that reinforced its era-defining character, along with a wide roof-mounted rear intake that signaled serious cooling intent. (Picture from: ClassicCars&ConceptCars in Facebook) |
Visually,
the Cobra 230 ME looked every bit the part of a junior supercar.
Developed by Ford’s advanced design department—
whose proposal won out over submissions from Ghia and ItalDesign—
the car wore a sharp wedge profile with sculpted flanks and prominent air intakes ahead of the rear wheels.
Pop-up headlights gave it period credibility,
while a wide intake integrated into the rear roofline hinted at serious cooling needs.
At the back,
distinctive twin “bi-plane” spoilers echoed the Merkur XR4Ti’s dramatic rear wing,
and the taillights blended anonymity with uniqueness in a way that felt futuristic at the time. Compared to
Pontiac’s Fiero,
the Cobra cast a similar silhouette, yet the details—
angular wheel arches,
twin side scoops,
and a more complex rear treatment—set it apart.
Inside,
the prototype featured plush carpeting, leather trim,
and electrically adjustable seats,
signaling that this was no stripped-out track toy but a refined two-seater aimed at a broader audience.
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| The Cobra 230 ME shared a broadly similar silhouette with Pontiac’s Fiero, yet distinguished itself through angular wheel arches, twin side scoops, and a more intricate rear design. (Picture from: Journal-Classiccars) |
Ford’s leadership spoke confidently about its potential.
Donald Kopka,
then Vice President of Design, described
the Cobra 230 ME as a world-class sports car whose contemporary styling would stand out as boldly in a suburban driveway as Ford’s headline-grabbing Taurus and Aerostar. Behind the scenes, there were serious discussions about production.
While the car used American-sourced mechanical components,
manufacturing was expected to involve French coachbuilder Chausson or possibly Ford of Australia,
with final assembly handled in the United States by Ford’s Special Vehicle Operations division.
Early projections suggested annual sales of 5,000 to 10,000 four-cylinder cars,
with additional high-performance V6 variants to follow.
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| The Cobra 230 ME was envisioned with ambitious future variants, including a fuel-injected 3.0-liter “Shogun” V6 with Yamaha-designed four-valve heads, a five-speed Getrag gearbox, four-wheel drive, and ABS. (Picture from: FordAuthority) |
And those future variants sounded ambitious.
Ford reportedly considered fitting
the fuel-injected 3.0-liter “Shogun” V6,
complete with Yamaha-designed four-valve cylinder heads.
A five-speed Getrag transmission,
four-wheel drive,
and ABS braking were all on the table. Contemporary magazines speculated that
the Cobra 230 ME could compete not only with
the Fiero but also with more upscale two-seat offerings like
the Cadillac Allanté,
Chrysler-Maserati collaboration,
Buick Reatta, and—if performance delivered—even edge toward
Porsche and
Corvette territory. For a moment in late 1986, automotive journalists wrote about the car as if production were inevitable.
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| The Cobra 230 ME featured distinctive twin “bi-plane” spoilers at the rear that echoed the Merkur XR4Ti’s dramatic wing, while its taillights balanced anonymity and uniqueness with a distinctly futuristic flair.. (Picture from: ClassicCars&ConceptCars in Facebook) |
Yet the promise dissolved as quickly as it formed. Rumors swirled that
Ford might lose money on every unit. Market uncertainties and shifting corporate priorities intervened.
Around the same time,
AMC’s anticipated Renault Alpine GTA partnership unraveled, eliminating what could have been a fascinating two-horse race in the affordable mid-engine arena.
By the end of the year,
the Cobra 230 ME was quietly shelved, with no clear public explanation.
Today,
it survives as a tantalizing “what if” from an era when Detroit seemed ready to rewrite its sports car story. In a market that now embraces
mid-engined Corvettes and globally competitive performance cars,
the Cobra 230 ME feels less like a fantasy and more like a missed head start—proof that Ford once held the blueprint for an attainable American exotic and simply chose not to build it.
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